The Black Dragon
by ar1502599
Summary: The new kid in town is insisting on meeting with Jake. At the same time, reports of a mysterious new Black Dragon surface in NYC. Could the two be related? Chapter 18 ADDED! COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1

The Black Dragon

Chap 1

Close to midnight in Downtown Seattle. A silent figure prowls on the roofs, searching for something.

"My master won't be pleased if I return empty handed," she muttered, for she was a Huntsgirl, one of the few to survive under the rule of the Huntsmaster. "If I don't get something tonight, he will surely kill me."

"And, is that such a bad thing?" taunted a mysterious voice behind her. Huntsgirl whirled around and squinted to see who had eavesdropped on her. However, whoever had taunted her remained hidden in the shadows.

"Show your self, coward!" she cried.

"Coward am I?" the voice continued, "Then what does that make you?"

A slithering presence slowly emerged from the darkness, but not enough that Huntsgirl would immediately identify the creature for what it was.

"What…what do you mean?" she asked, trembling; for the creature looked terrifying in the darkness. Indeed, that darkness only looked like a cloak around it. However, no other details could describe the presence that scared the Huntsgirl so.

"I mean, doing the Huntsmaster's work for him, always complying to his demands, and _never, ever_ defying his word, not even with a complaint," it spat, sounding as though it hated even saying this to her.

"You say this like you've experienced this for yourself," Huntsgirl asked. "How can that be? The Huntsclan _never_…"

"…Never allows magical creatures to join it. Duh," The Huntsgirl cocked her head at that. What creature used human slang? Unless… "But, then, I have my ways. Now, why don't you be a good little girl and hand me that UGH!"

Huntsgirl finally put the pieces together and decided that the creature who was taunting her had to be a dragon (who else could it be?) and that it would make a great present for the Huntsmaster after all her failings.

"That staff of yours is useless against me, you know," the "creature" continued.

"We'll see about that," Huntsgirl jeered, "_after_ we shed some light on you."

With her last bit of courage, Huntsgirl pushed the creature into the lightened area she was in and gave a sharp gasp.


	2. Chapter 2

Chap 2

Huntsgirl's enemy was a dragon, but not just any ordinary dragon; a black dragon. He was seven feet tall, had two horns, a six-foot wing span, and a sharp scythe-blade on the end of his tail. His eyes, though, were the crown piece of his appearance as they were more narrow and reddish than any dragons' should be.

"You're a…a renegade!" Huntsgirl gasped.

"Maybe I am," called the dragon, "but that doesn't mean we can't end our meeting short, now can we?"

He then proceeded to blow an ice blast, of all things, towards Huntsgirl. Instinctively, she blocked with her staff and then tried to retaliate with a blast of her own, but then found something odd.

"What have you done to my staff!" she cried.

"Simple," the dragon answered, as though finishing a demo on a project he had worked so hard on accomplishing, "I froze your staff's workings through that big imager on the side, with a little assistance from you trying to deflect the shot."

"NO!" she yelled, using what was left of the staff to try to deliver a blow to the dragon's head. Unfortunately for her, the dragon had anticipated that and grabbed the staff out of her hands before she could do any damage.

"You won't be needing this, my dear," he said conversationally, breaking the staff in half, which in effect, made the staff disintegrate.

"NO! I DO! I DO!" she yelled as she continued to pound the dragon with her hands and feet, using all the moves she had learned. Eventually, she realized that none of it was even bothering the dragon, so she stopped suddenly and the dragon gave her a courtesy nod.

"Tell your friends in NYC to look out for me," he called. Then, with one sweep of his wings, the dragon disappeared into the night and the Huntsgirl was left with a dilemma. Should she return the Huntsmaster with the knowledge that she has? Or, should track down her family and start up her life with them again?


	3. Chapter 3

Chap 3

Daytime in the NYC. School is in session and Jake Long, American Dragon, is recounting yet another adventure he just had to his friends, Spud and Trixie in between classes.

"So," Jake said, "We creep up on the Hunts duo and, like, all of a sudden I get an idea. Why not just trip both of them and watch them fall straight into the cart of manure below?"

"And did you? Cause I mean, you are still here and alive," asked Trixie, who seemed a little skeptical about the retelling.

"Well, what ended up happening was that we did surprise the Hunts duo, but they didn't have magical creatures captured or anything!" replied Jake laughingly, "So, we ended up stalking them for nothing, apparently."

"Stalking who?" Immediately, Jake whipped his head to hear who had listened in on them. Then, he calmed down, slightly, to see it was someone he hadn't met before: a tall boy, with dark black/brown hair and brown eyes. He wore plain blue jeans and a white shirt that said "Rouge Squadron." The most interesting part about the kid was that he had a tired look on his face, as though he hadn't gotten enough sleep.

"Hello," called Jake, "I don't believe we've met."

"Kaleb," answered the new boy, "Kaleb Black, but my friends call me Kal. Oh, and nice to meet you. I was wondering if you could help me find my classes."

"Um, sure!" Jake exclaimed, "Why not? Let's see… oh! You have the same classes I do! What a surprise!" Spud and Trixie exchanged glances before looking back at the newcomer.

"Wow, so would you mind if I stayed with you today?" Kaleb asked. "You know, just so I can learn where I'm supposed to go?"

"Ok," Jake replied, "if it's ok with Spud and Trixie."

"Sure," they answered.

"Then it's settled," Jake finalized, "and, by the way, my name is Jake. Jake Long."

"Nice to meet you, Jake. Spud. Trixie," Kaleb replied. With that, the four of them went to their next class, science. However, all through the school day, Jake, and his friends, kept having an uneasy feeling about Kaleb. There was just something about him that just, well, didn't seem right. After school, Kaleb asked if he could come over to Jake's house to meet his family.

"Please?" Kaleb pleaded, "Jake, you are really the first person I've met in NYC."

"Well," Jake thought about it. He did have two hours until Grandpa needed him on patrol; and, whatever thatuneasy feeling was, there was nothing to justify it."All right, but only for two hours."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Kaleb exclaimed.

"Here's the address. Meet you there in 15 minutes." Jake said. He didn't know it yet, but he was about to get an experience that would rock his world.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you, YFWE and CelloSolo2007, for your reviews. They were very helpful in both keeping my story straight and letting me know I was appreciated. Even if I hadn't asked for reviews before. Well, on with the story...

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Chap 4 

At the Longs' apartment, things were pretty hectic. Apparently, Lao Shi (affectionately known as Grandpa) was coming over for dinner before taking Jake out for training, so Mrs. Long decided to have a "clean-up" day. Hayley, of course, wasn't happy about it.

"But, why do we have to clean the apartment _now_?" whined Hayley as she cleaned the kitchen sink. "I mean, it's only _Grandpa_ isn't it?"

"Yes, honey," her mother replied exasperatedly for the fourth time that day. "But, your grandfather, as you know, has, well, _eccentric_ needs. Besides, I think he should be in a place where dust isn't a permanent part of the home."

"Whatever," Hayley muttered.

"Hey guys, I'm home!" Jake called as he closed the front door to the apartment.

"Good," replied his mother. "Then you can get started on cleaning your room; it's a mess in there."

"Mom!" Jake whined. "Why?"

"Because Grandpa's coming over, that's why." Hayley shouted from the kitchen.

"Grandpa's coming? Why?" Jake asked.

"It probably has something to do with," his mother whispered at this point so Mr. Long, who was home at the time, couldn't hear, "_dragon_ business. But, who knows?"

"Well, anyway," Jake continued, "I have a new friend who _insisted_ on coming over today."

"Oh?" Mrs. Long asked, surprised. "Who is it?"

"Well, his name is Kaleb Black." Jake explained. "He seems to have moved in from around Seattle, Washington."

"That's pretty far away, Jake. He might know some good vacation spots if you decide to travel some day," called a dry voice from the front door.

"Hello Grandpa." Jake called. Grandpa seemed very mysterious to many around him, including some of his own family. To Jake, though, his grandfather was a great teacher, but sometimes didn't know when to quit teaching. Today, he was without Fu Dog, a fellow magical creature who was a talking dog and knew many connections in the magical world. However, as Jake's father knew nothing of the previous-mentioned magical world, Fu Dog wouldn't have been a great…er…dog to have around the man.

"So, what's this I hear of a new friend, Jake?" Grandpa asked.

"His name is Kaleb, and he's insisted on coming over today," Jake explained again. "He should be here in a couple of minutes."

"Hmm." mumbled Grandpa. "When he gets here, I would like to talk to him for a few minutes, _if_ you don't mind?"

"I don't mind, but why?" Jake asked.

"I need to see if he is… well I'd just like to see your new friend, that's all," answered Grandpa.

Meanwhile, at the Black's apartment, Kaleb was telling his mother about his first day at the new high school.

"…and, oh, I can't until we start going further in math." Kaleb continued.

"Ok, ok. I can see you're very excited about school," his mother answered. "Now, did you make any friends?"

"Oh, I believe so," Kaleb answered. "In fact, one boy, Jake, is letting me visit his house for a couple of hours."

"Well," His mother considered the time. They were still unpacking their belongings but they would have dinner in about two hours anyway and Kaleb was already finished unpacking. "All right. But, be back hereby 6:00 pm, ok?"

"Got it!" Kaleb exclaimed as he headed toward the door. "Thanks!"

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Please review! Thanks. 


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you, YFWE, for your continuous reviews. And, actually, if something sucks, it's as matter of opinion, so my character can like math if I want him to.

Kaleb: You tell him, ar!

Anyway, here's the next chapter...

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Chap 5 

At the Long's residence, Kaleb had just made it to the front door. _Ding-dong_!

"Oh!" cried Jake. "That was fast."

"Well, let him in then," said his mother, "at least, before he breaks our doorbell." _Ding-dong_!

"Hello again Jake!" hallooed Kaleb, happy that he was able to come.

"Hullo, Kal," Jake replied. "Welcome to my home." What a home it turned out to be, at that time. The Long's apartment, normally somewhat strewn with toys of Hayley's on the floor and Jake's forgotten homework left on a table or two, was transformed into a clean, outdoorsy-smelling place with no clutter in sight.

"Wow!" Kal exclaimed, awed by the cleanliness of the apartment. "Even we never have a place _this_ clean!"

"Well…" Jake was at a loss of words for this; at least, until his mother and Hayley showed up. "Oh, Kal, this is my mother," (Kaleb) "Hello Mrs. Long" "And this is my little sister, Hayley." (Kaleb) "Nice to meet you, Hayley" (Hayley, 'evilly') "The pleasure's mine."

After they met, Jake took Kaleb to show him Jake's somewhat messy room (Jake still hadn't found time to clean it; he was busy discussing 'dragon things' with Grandpa). Speaking of whom, Grandpa was somewhat busy during all this, as he was arguing with his son-in-law over the best way to "set the table," and so didn't notice Kaleb's arrival.

"…And this is my room." announced Jake as they entered.

"Wow!" cried Kaleb. "Well, I suppose the untidiness had to go somewhere."

"Yes," chuckled Jake as both he and Kaleb sat down on Jake's bed. "I suppose it did. So, tell me, why did you want to come over, anyway?"

Kaleb looked at Jake strangely and then immediately started for the door.

"It's just a simple question!" Jake wondered. "Why are you…?"

However, Jake didn't get to finish his question because right then he had a different one in mind. Why was Kaleb locking them both in?

Kaleb looked at Jake with an expression as though he was pleading for help. "Jake, I need your help."

"Wha…what?" Jake stumbled, trying to understand what was happening.

"Jake," Kaleb whispered, as though trying not to be eavesdropped on. "I'm a fellow dragon." And, by saying so, he transformed himself into one.

The dragon he turned into was a unique one. He was of a slender build, almost 6 1/2 feet tall, but he only had a five-foot wing span. The unique part about him was the light blue color of his scales, the two small horns on his forehead, and the small, but still deadly, scythe-blade on the end of his tail.

"Please, Jake," he pleaded, "I need your help."

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Reviews, please! 


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you, YFME, CelloSolo2007, and Angel of Forgotton Souls for your reviews. I hope to hear more comments in the future. For now, here's the next segment in this story...

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Chap 6

"What!" cried Jake, who immediately transformed into his own dragon shape.

"Just let me explain, Jake," pleaded Kaleb, "I promise I won't hurt you." Jake gave it a minute's worth of thought and then sat down, back human again. "Thank you.

"I started noticing I had dragon powers when I was about nine years old. I love to read and one of my favorite genres is fantasy, so I guess shouldn't have been surprised when I found my first dragon book. It gave my imagination another world to explore, more creatures to create. However, once I finished reading it, I noticed something weird happening to my arm…"

"What was it?" asked Jake timidly.

"I'm getting to that!" Kaleb shouted. Surprisingly, no one outside of the room heard the shout. More interestingly, black spots formed and disappeared on Kaleb's scales during his outburst. "I'm sorry," Kaleb continued, more softly now. "I'm just a bit more _reactive_ when I'm a dragon." With that, he concentrated, as though thinking hard about a specific answer to a question, and transformed back into human shape.

"So, what had happened was that I was thinking so much about dragons that my arm had turned into a dragon's arm, complete with claws. Naturally, I got scared, but I really felt like I wanted to take care of the situation myself. So, I thought about what had happened and, being an exceptionally bright kid, I figured out that, if thinking about dragons changed my arm, then thinking about myself would change it back.

"Of course, the arm had changed back by the time I had figured it out. Still, I felt the need to experiment. What if I could become a whole dragon? By the time I was 11 years old, I had found out. The result was what you saw, minus the horns and bladed tail. I thought I was the most handsome thing in the universe at the time."

"So, what happened?" queried Jake.

"I have no idea," replied Kaleb. "That's why I've come to you."

"Actually, that's one question I have: how did you know about me?" Jake asked insistently.

"Well, where I had lived, there was a Huntsgirl…" (Kaleb)

"There's more than one!" Jake exclaimed.

"Yes," Kaleb grumbled, "that always said _she_ was better than the Huntsgirl in NYC because _the_ 'American Dragon' kept beating her to the punch. Later on, she had the name for the dragon: yours."

"You're kidding!" (Jake)

"Well," Kaleb went on, "seeing how that ski trip could have gone better…"

"…How much about me do you know?" Jake asked.

"1. Good guy, 2. Good enough to defeat most Huntsclan members, and 3. Good enough to help me!" (Kaleb)

"How can I help you if I don't even know what's 'ailing' you?" Jake asked.

"Fine. I'll tell you. It…" Kaleb started. But before he could even begin to tell Jake about _why_ he needed the American Dragon's help, the door to Jake's room slammed opened, and someone jumped at Kaleb.

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Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

HOLD ON! YFWE, Kaleb did NOT steal your M&M's. Right, Kaleb?

Kaleb: Well...

Grrrrrr...KALEB! Ugh. YFWE, you'll get your bag of M&M's in a minute. For now, here's the next chapter...

_Fight ensues between ar and Kaleb over bag of M&M's, sometimes spilling some over the floor.

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_

Chap 7

"Get off me!" yelled Kaleb, for the assailant had tackled Kaleb to the ground and was trying to tie him up.

"G, get off him," Jake asked, "He just wants us to help him. I'm guessing he just didn't know how to ask." At this, Grandpa (G) did so, but not without leaving Kaleb helpless in a rope binding.

Apparently, Grandpa had finally finished "setting the table," and had wondered where Jake wandered off to. When Mrs. Long told him that Kaleb had shown up and that Jake was showing him around the house, Grandpa immediately went searching for them. Once he saw Jake's locked door, he figured out that Kaleb had to have been searching out Jake for something. So, after making sure no one else was around, he transformed into a dragon, unlocked the door magically (a tool of the trade he picked up), and pummeled in.

"Are you _sure_ that's all he wants?" Grandpa asked, skeptical that his own grandson would listen to someone who hid before making his claims.

"I was just about to find out until _you_ came barging in, G!" Jake explained.

"Do you even know if he's trustworthy?" Grandpa asked.

The two Longs continued at this banter for some minutes while Kaleb, silently, "dragoned up," cut his bindings, and transformed to human again.

"Look," Jake finished exasperatingly, "If you don't believe me, talk to him yourself."

They turned to look at him, and only Grandpa was really surprised that Kaleb was free from the rope.

"Hullo," Kaleb said. "I take it you are Lao Shi, Jake's grandfather."

"That…that would be me, yes," Grandpa replied, shaken by how easily Kaleb broke the rope, but then took some thought and remembered the argument with Jake. "So, I take it you are a new dragon to these parts?"

"Yes, I am," Kaleb answered.

"May I see your form?" Grandpa asked.

In answer, Kaleb transformed.

"Ahhhhh. Now, why have you come asking for our help?" (Grandpa)

"Well," Kaleb began, "it started by the time I started 6th grade. I had loved to go out at night to fly as a dragon. Of course, no one saw me as I flew above the clouds and I always got back before midnight so that I got some sleep. However, as time went on, I started going through some stressful days. Some days, if I had some energy left, I'd be able to do a short flight and then sleep. Most days, however, I wasn't even able to make dragon form. The times I have, however, showed the distinct bladed tail and horns you saw."

"So, the horns and blade started when you started tohave stressful days?" Jake asked.

"I suppose." Kaleb concluded. "But, there's something else that's bothering me. Memory blanks on some of the nights where I know I didn't fly."

"What do you mean, 'you know you didn't fly?'" Grandpa asked.

(Kaleb) "Well, I have a counter on my window to show how many times something goes through it. Big things mind, not like flies. And on some nights, the counter shows that I have gone on a flight for those nights. The thing is that I don't remember them!"

"Well," Grandpa theorized, "then your problem is this: you are a renegade."

"Renegade?" Jake and Kaleb asked at the same time. "What's a renegade?"

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Finally! Kaleb, OUT OF HERE!

Kaleb: yes master (mousey voice) _tears out of room "like there's no tomorrow"_

Reviews please! Thank you! Oh, and, YFWE, here are your M&M's. Sorry about spilling them.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews, YFWE and CelloSolo2007. I'm glad the M&M's weren't _too_ badly damaged, YFWE. Anyway, my little surprise starts here, so enjoy...

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Chap 8

"Dinner is ready!" Mrs. Long shouted.

"Awwwww man! Now what am I going to do?" Kaleb wondered, transforming back to human shape.

"Patience, _young dragon_," Grandpa explained. "Come, have dinner with us." Interestingly enough, the time was only 4:45 pm, in case anyone was wondering.

As the three of them came to the kitchen for dinner, Mrs. Long asked them to make sure to wash their hands. She still wanted to have a clean atmosphere for the dinner.

"Man, now I know why everything is so clean." Kaleb commented. He and Jake chuckled and then sat down at the table to wait for Grandpa and Mrs. Long. Apparently, Grandpa thought the soap was a magical ingredient, not something you "wash your hands with" (you can probably fill in the blanks). Finally, they sat down too, and the Long family, and Kaleb, started eating.

_20 minutes later_

"I'm full," Kaleb groaned, clutching his stomach as though it would burst.

"Well, that's that," said Grandpa. "Now, Jake, it's time to go…"

"Gramps," Jake interjected. "Could we bring Kal along?"

"Well…" He thought about it. "I suppose so."

"Thank you!" said Kaleb. "I promise I won't be any trouble L..."

"Just…follow us, all right?" Grandpainterrupted and then all three of them crossed through the front door and started towards Grandpa's shop.

_Back at the Long's residence_

_Is it just me_, Mr. Long wondered, _or did I just miss something important?_

_Back with Kaleb, Jake, Grandpa_

The three had just transformed into dragons and were now starting towards the shop.

"So, G," Jake asked, "What is a renegade?"

"As far as I know," Grandpa answered, "A renegade dragon only happens once every thousand dragons, or in a bloodline. The dragon becomes cut off from the magical world, turning more, well, hideous and dangerous."

"You're saying that's what I am?" Kaleb asked.

"I don't know for sure; I'll have to check my scrolls…" Grandpa explained.

Unfortunately, they weren't able to continue their conversation as a horrible darkness covered everything around them. Nothing could be seen more than a few feet from a light source.

"Kaleb, G, are you there?" Jake called out, groping around in the dark. Luckily for him, he only few feet above a rooftop when the veil of darkness showed up sothat, when he was spooked, at least he had a short fall.

"I am here, young dragon," replied Grandpa, who happened to be on that same rooftop. However, he wasn't as fortunate as Jake in that he fell from a higher altitude and so hadboth his wind and strength knocked out of him.

"What about Kaleb?" Jake asked.

"What about him?" asked a very sinister voice (You guys know this one!). Jake swerved in surprise at the sound of the voice.

"Who are you?" he called.

"Someone you might recognize," the voice replied. A suppressed light suddenly flickered on. Jake gasped. The black dragon stood before him. Behind the dragon lay old tired Grandpa; human formed and slumped on the rooftop.

"K-kk…Kaleb!" Jake stuttered helplessly. "What have you done?"

"I am not Kaleb, puny 'American Dragon,'" the dragon yelled out, "I am no longer that weakling! Now, I am theall-powerful Black Dragon!"

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What do you think? Any guesses to the cause of all this? Reviews please! (PS: if anyone reviews to say that calling the black dragon "The Black Dragon" is a little redundant, I know; it's my story) 


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you all who have reviewed my story thus far. Now, I'll bet you're wondering about this little "plot twist," so I won't get in the way. Here's the battle...

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(I apologize ahead of time for this somewhat confusing part that's coming up. It's an action sequence, so I'll only be showing who's speaking)

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Chap 9 

"Kaleb…" Jake stammered.

"I TOLD YOU!" the Black Dragon, as he styled himself now, shouted at him. "I'm no longer that…that _weakling_! I'm stronger now. Better." He then proceeded to demonstrate this by punching straight through the rooftop, shattering it and creating a fist-sized hole in it.

"Jake…he's fully renegade…" Grandpa explained.

"Shut up, old man!" the Black Dragon yelled; who then ensued to slice at Grandpa with his bladed tail.

"NO!" Jake shouted, putting himself between Grandpa and the tail, thus taking the slice himself. _SLICE!_

"Jake!" Grandpa finally managed to get up, but it's too late. Jake was bleeding profusely from a chest wound, _in human form_,and his only chance at survival was either a hospital or the shop with Fu's medicine. However, the Black Dragon had a different agenda.

(Black Dragon) "Now, old man, it's time for you."

(Grandpa) "No, not while I have strength left in my body to fight you with." He then transforms to dragon shape.

(Black Dragon) "Hahaha, that won't be enough to save you."

(Grandpa) "We will see."

Then, they fought; Black Dragon using mostly claws and his tail and Grandpa using fire-breath and his claws. Then, suddenly, Black Dragon used psychic abilities, mostly telekinetic powers to push away Grandpa's attacks. Even fire-breathing coudn't reach the Black Dragon.

(Black Dragon) "Give up now, you can't win." _SLASH!_ Grandpa goes down with a cut to his chest. He then transformed to human and was as weak as Jake; though not with as bad an injury.

(Grandpa) "Kill us, then. That is what you want, isn't it?"

The Black Dragon looked at him strangely, as though he couldn't understand the question. Then, he reared up, and got ready to…

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Yes, I know. EVIL CLIFFIE. Anyone have a guess as to what will happen next? Review please! (PS: There's a reason for the 'psychic powers.') 


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you again for your reviews! I know it's been hard to wait this long (two days!), but here you go! The answers to your questions!

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Chap 10

…faint. Apparently, either the fight or what Grandpa had said had taken its toll on the Black Dragon and so made it weaken and fall. Grandpa looked at the Black Dragon carefully, watching to see if he was playing any tricks.

"Black Dragon?" Grandpa asked quietly.

There was no answer.

"…Kaleb?" he asked even more quietly.

Immediately, the dragon rose up, roaring and thundering. However, he seemed different. Splotches of blue started to show on his scales. His horns and bladed tail seemed smaller. Indeed, the Black Dragon looked more like Kaleb's old dragon form than himself.

"Who are you?" Grandpa queried.

"I am Kaleb," said the dragon; whose scales then shone bright blue. "I am also the Black Dragon." His scales then turned dark black.

"What are you then?" Grandpa inquired.

"I am Kaleb's emotions, controlled and uncontrolled," replied the dragon. "What you have seen is anger and hate, uncontrolled. There are other emotions that have been shown by me through dragon powers…"

"So," Grandpa interrupted. "His powers…_your_ powers are controlled by his…_your_ emotions?"

"Yes," answered the dragon. "If I know and use my emotions, then my dragon powers can be controlled. If my emotions get away from me, like you have seen, then my powers are…difficult to control."

"So when I said you were a renegade dragon," Grandpa remembered.

"…That angered me," the dragon concluded. "And so, my dragon self turned into an alter ego: the Black Dragon. Anger and hate are a powerful force to be reckoned with."

"Is this what you wanted us to help you with, then?" Grandpa asked.

"Yessssssssssssssss," answered the dragon. "Please, help me to learn to keep my emotions in check. Teach me to know when express certain emotions and how to express them so that I may be able to control my powers."

"That may prove tricky, young one." Grandpa commented. "You see, Jake and myself are about to _die_, thanks to your 'alter ego.'"

"That can be fixed, 'G,'" Kaleb said, for the dragon had become Kaleb's old form again; with the small horns and small bladed tail still on, unfortunately. With a snap of his fingers, somehow, both Grandpa's and Jake's wounds were healed.

"Now," Kaleb continued, "Since I know you both are still tired." He then concentrated hard and teleported himself, Grandpa, and Jake to Grandpa's store. There, Jake _finally_ woke up (he had been unconscious the whole time since he was knocked down).

"Wait!" Jake cried out. "Huh? Where's the Black Dragon? Grandpa! What happened? Kaleb! WHAT'S GOING ON!"

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Now, my question is this: should I continue on and explain how and _if_ Grandpa can help? Only REVIEWS can tell!


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you very much for your reviews! As per your request, here is the next segment in the story...

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Chap 11 

Grandpa told the whole story to Jake while Kaleb, back in his human form, strolled around the shop. It had been a late night for all of them, and Jake still wasn't able to "be okay with" Kaleb's attack on him and Grandpa.

"So," Jake asked after Grandpa finished the explanation, "You want us to help you _control your emotions_ so that you can control your powers, right?"

"Yes." Kaleb answered silently. He understood Jake's attitude towards him. Most people in Jake's place wouldn't have even continued to _try_ to understand Kaleb's position.

"Well, then why didn't you just ask that in the first place?" Jake demanded.

"I didn't know how you would have reacted." Kaleb explained. "See, there was another dragon where I lived…"

"What!" Grandpa cried out. "There are no other dragons in North America besides myself, Jake, and now you!"

"Well," Kaleb replied. "Actually there was. I forget his name, but I found him on one of my nightly flights after I started noticing changes in my dragon appearance. I asked him to help me find a way to stop the changes, but he thought I was something dangerous, something sent from the Huntsclan or worse. In the end, my anger got the best of me and I ended up killing him."

There was a still silence in the store. Kaleb could barely look back at Jake and Grandpa; of who could barely look at him.

"That's how I learned of the Huntsclan," Kaleb continued. "I didn't know they hunted magical creatures. But, I figured that they might know of my blight and would have a way to cure it. When I found a member of the Huntsclan on another flight, that Huntsgirl I talked about, she immediately attacked me, thinking me a worthy prize. I got so scared, my emotions took over. The next thing I remember, I saw the Huntsgirl running, jeering at me and saying 'The American Dragon fights better than you!'"

"So, that's when you started finding out about me," Jake said.

"Yep," Kaleb replied. "That's when I started looking for references on the American Dragon. Of course, I finally found out who 'my' Huntsgirl was. Using that information, I started following her to the Huntsclan HQ."

"Can you lead us to it?" Jake asked.

"Unfortunately, it changes every week, so my knowledge about it is old." Kaleb answered. "However, _that's_ how I learned about where you lived, who the Huntsgirl that worked there was, and what actually happened there."

"So, when you say that the ski trip could have gone better," Jake surmised, "You weren't kidding?"

"Nope, though I had to piece two-and-two together to find out _you_ were the American Dragon." Kaleb confessed. "It actually wasn't too hard after the ski trip incident. That's when I decided to ask my parents have us move here to NYC."

"That way, you could ask _us_ for help?" Grandpa summarized.

"Exactly. Unfortunately, I guess I messed up the welcome wagon by attacking you both before bringing you the full story. Sorry about that." Kaleb apologized.

"Well," Jake thought about it. "As long as you didn't kill us, I suppose we could do it, right G?"

Grandpa looked a little uneasy.

"You have had about four years of self-taught training, correct?" he asked.

"Yeeeees," Kaleb answered.

"Well, before we begin the long, grueling process of teaching your mind to control its own urges, let's see what you can do." Grandpa decreed.

* * *

Now, we know some of his powers, does anyone else want to add any? Or any moves? Reviews! 


	12. Chapter 12

Originalty? "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Brenn!" (Dennis, Star Wars: Force Commander, computer game) Anyway, thank you for your courteous reviews. Now, enjoy part 12 of this lovely saga...

* * *

By the way, I have a new story up, _Wizard Genius_, if anyone's interested. It's located under Video Games, Mega Man.

* * *

Chap 12

Kaleb, Jake, and Grandpa flew out to a secluded area of rooftops to train.

"Now," Grandpa said. "Show us what you can do."

Kaleb started out with a few fire-breathing exercises, going from small bursts to long-range explosions. Then, he did ice-breathing; the same power that he used on the Huntsgirl back in Seattle. Afterwards, he gave a show of his psychic abilities; moving both Grandpa and Jake by sheer force of will, telepathically communicating with Grandpa, and teleporting straight from one rooftop to another.

"Wow!" Jake commented after Kaleb's latest show of teleportation. "I didn't know a dragon could _do_ all this."

"They can't," Grandpa replied. "At least, not usually."

"OH NO!" Kaleb shouted. He hadglanced at a clock on a nearby windowsill. "It's almost 6:00! I need to get home!"

"Ok, ok," Jake said, trying to get Kaleb to calm down. "Why are you so worried? We can go right now, can't we G?"

"Yes, yes," Grandpa agreed. "No need to get worried."

"Okay." Kaleb conceded.

The three of them started back; Kaleb leading the way since neither Jake nor Grandpa knew the way to Kaleb's place.

"So," Jake started, hoping to get a nice conversation going. "Does your family know about you being a dragon?"

"I thought I had explained that." Kaleb muttered. "No, they don't, which is _why_ I want to get home on time before they start to worry."

"Why don't you want to tell them?" Grandpa asked. "It would make things much easier for yourself and for your training if your family knew about you being a dragon."

"Because," Kaleb started to answer, and then stopped. He started again. "When I was trying to become a 'full dragon,' my mother walked in on me with a dragon tail. She freaked out. I don't remember what happened next. But, somehow, she never asked me about it again. Whenever I even dared to talk to her about dragons afterwards, she didn't even know what I was talking about. Other than that, she was my mother."

"So, you think that because of that one incident," Grandpa summarized, "your family won't take to you being a dragon?"

"Yes," Kaleb replied, "especially since I did something to my mother's memory because of _her_ reaction. I don't want the same thing to happen to the rest of my family."

"Well, it won't have to." Jake said. "You'll have us along."

"All right then." Kaleb gave in. "If you guys will come along to make sure I don't do anything harmful to my family, I'll tell them."

The three dragons set down behind Kaleb's apartment complex and transformed back to human. The time, according to Kaleb's now apparent watch, was 5:58.

* * *

_Apparently_, the Black family is about to get a real shocker. How will Kaleb be able to explain the last _four years_ to his parents? Reviews please! 


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks for your reviews, YFWE and CelloSolo2007. I must say, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. If someone sneaks in during all this, don't blame me. Anyway, here you go...

* * *

Chap 13 (Dun dun dun!)

_Inside Kaleb's apartment complex_

"It's the second one on the left," Kaleb said, "down this way." He was showing Grandpa and Jake the way to his apartment so that they: one, wouldn't get lost and two, would be able to find him if they ever need to get him for something.

He still felt uneasy about what he was doing, though. He still couldn't believe all he had done that night, but still. Telling his family? This was something he might not be able to do. But, at least he had Jake and his grandfather to help out if anything went wrong. Which shouldn't happen, right?

"Here it is," Kaleb announced. "Apartment B-204. It's a little cozier than yours, Jake, but it's probably only because we haven't actually unpacked yet."

He knocked on the door, to which his mother, Mrs. Black, answered. She looked at him for a moment, then squealed happily, "Well, come on in, Kaleb, you're back just in time for dinner."

Thinking to the dinner he had had with the Longs, he guiltily stepped inside, but then told his mother that he had brought friends along.

"Oh sure," his mother replied. "They can come eat with us as well. I've made enough of a meal to feed a classroom of hungry teenagers."

Sheepishly, Kaleb motioned Jake and Grandpa inside. After introductions were made, Mrs. Black told them that she'd meet them in the dining room for dinner in a few minutes. Then she walked off towards the kitchen, most likely to finish up cooking the meal.

"Yep, that's my mother." Kaleb said matter-of-factly.

"So," Grandpa asked, "is there anyone else from your immediate family that will not be at dinner tonight?"

"Nope," Kaleb answered. "Tonight was supposed to be a 'celebration' for our first night in NYC."

"Looks like dinner will be the best time as any to tell them, then," Jake interjected.

"Tell who what?" asked a small mousy voice.

The three of them jumped, and then looked around. Only Kaleb saw who the speaker was.

"Stacy, get out from under there," he said. She complied, revealing a small, blonde-haired girl. "Why were you eavesdropping on us?"

"Well, you usually get home early from school," she answered in a small voice as if she was innocent of something. "I was just worried that you had gotten into trouble or something."

"No, Stacy, I hadn't and haven't," Kaleb replied. "So, how about you go help mom?"

"Oh, fine then." Stacy grumbled. She turned toward the kitchen and then stomped off.

"snickers Reminds me of Hayley. They should get together sometime." Jake surmised.

"Well, might as well go help set the table." Kaleb grumbled. He still wasn't looking forward to what he had to do. "You guys want to help?"

"Well…" Grandpa now had second thoughts whenever someone said "set the table." You see, Mr. Long had ended up winning the argument and so set the table _his_ way. Grandpa had a _huge_ blow to his pride about it ever since.

"Sure! Come on, G, it can be part of _your_ dragon training!" Jake laughed. He had known how to set the table since he was nine; however, he rarely used the skill until now because of how much he disliked housework.

"Ugh." Kaleb left the two alone and headed for the kitchen.

_Dining Room, dinnertime_

The entire immediate Black family, and Jake and Grandpa, were all seated at the wonderfully set table in the dining room.

"Thanks so much for setting the table, Kaleb," said Mrs. Black.

Of course, Kaleb had helped immensely with housework over the past few days, so this compliment seemed like a little token. However the token was enough to please him.

"Thanks, mom," he replied. "May we please eat now?"

"Of course!" she answered."

All of them then proceeded to pass around the dishes to the meal and to stuff their faces (For those that are wondering the meal was turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and regular kernels of corn). As they ate, Kaleb, Jake, and Grandpa kept glancing at each other, knowing that they'd have to speak out sometime or another.

Usually after a few minutes of "chowing down", the Black family talked about their day.

"Well, kids," Mrs. Black asked. "How was your day at school?"

"I didn't like the other kids," Stacy simply put. She was the most adamant about not moving because she had many friends in Seattle and couldn't bear to leave them. "But, I liked the teacher."

"That's good." Mrs. Black beamed. "What about you, Jessie?"

As it turned out, Kaleb also had a slightly older sister that he didn't tell Jake and Grandpa about. She was a very beautiful creature, with long blonde hair, a tall, sleek physique, and a face that would beat even Rose's. She was also very athletic, although she never went on any of the school or community sports teams. For the most part, though, she kept to herself; always going to the library after school and coming home close to the time for dinner.

"School was ok," she replied. No one was really surprised at her answer. She didn't really like to talk much about anything; as far as anyone knew.

"Ok…" Mrs. Black moved on. "And how was your day, Kaleb?"

Kaleb fidgeted, then recounted a little of his school day again for the family. _After all,_ he thought. _I can just tell them once I reach the part about the Longs_.

"Well, good." Mr. Black surmised. He was usually pretty quiet because of his eating style: fast and mouth-stuffing. "It's nice to see everyone have a good time here in New York."

Grandpa and Jake kept glancing back at Kaleb, giving him an ok-time-to-tell-them look. He nodded back, then cleared his throat a little (Like Professor Umbridge, but not so girly).

"Uh, guys," Kaleb started. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Mrs. Black asked. Jessie suddenly looked attentive to the situation at hand.

"Well, you know how I've been acting kind of, well, _strange_ the past four years?" Kaleb asked.

"The disappearing acts?" Mr. Black wondered.

"Flashes of blue around you?" Stacy inquired.

"Why I can't talk about _dragons_ with you?" Mrs. Black queried. Everyone, except Kaleb, Jake, and Grandpa, looked strangely at her at that.

"Exactly," Kaleb continued shakily. "It's because, well, I'm a…" here he turned into his dragon form, somehow minus the horns and tail blade, "dragon."

* * *

Long one, I know. Yes, I know I promised a shocker. Please bear with me. It's in the next chapter.

Random Vulcan: Live long and prosper.

How did you get in here?

RV: Door was open? (Guards at front door knocked unconscious)

Get back here! _I'll get that next chapter in a minute!_


	14. Chapter 14

Out with you, RV! OUT! sighs Now, then, thanks for the fine reviews. Sorry for taking so longwith this shocker, but here it is. And, I brought drinks.

YFWE: For you, milk to go with that XXL bag of M&M's. Enjoy!

CelloSolo2007: Let's see, how about root beer? spills aww noo. I spilled it all over your cello. Here's some juice instead and another cello to replace the one I messed up.

Angel of Forgotton Souls: Thanks for the immediate reviews. Here's some Cherry Cola.

Now, sit back and enjoy this next chapter...

* * *

Chap 14 

Immediately, three things happened. One, the rest of the family started screaming because they had seen Kaleb turn into a dragon with no explanation. Two, both Jake and Grandpa were trying to sort out the situation by explaining about how dragons skip generations and by telling Kaleb's story; well, the story that _they_ heard so far. Three, amidst all the confusion, Kaleb's older sister ran from the panic to her room. During all this, Kaleb turned back into his old self and immediately tried to find his older sister. Of course, he wasn't surprised to find her wielding a Huntsstaff (if that's right) when he walked in on her hiding place.

"Hello Jessie." Kaleb said calmly. Of course, he knew about what she was. If you remember, he cryptically told Jake and Grandpa about how he knew who the Huntsgirl in Seattle was.

"How could you!" Jessie cried. "How could you be a…a dragon!"

"There's more to this than you know, Jessie," Kaleb said. "You remember that black dragon that stopped you the night before we moved?"

"Yes…" she muttered, "He broke my primary staff…wait. YOU were that dragon? How can that be?"

"I was angry at that time." Kaleb explained. "My powers are controlled through my emotions. So, if I get too emotional, I lose control."

"So, it's YOUR fault the Huntsclan is after me!" Jessie cried.

"Actually," Kaleb chuckled. "They don't know you're gone."

"WHAT?" Jessie yelled.

"Quiet!" Kaleb whispered, "Unless you want to be found out."

"So," Jessie asked quietly, "How did you manage to package me out of the Huntsclan without them knowing?"

"Easily," Kaleb giggled. "I psychically made an illusion of you to act as Huntsgirl in your absence. So, that way, no one would know for at least…till now."

(Jessie) "WHAT?"

"Calm down!" Kaleb said. "I can protect you, or," looking at her still operating staff, "at least help you. So, agreed?"

"Fine," Jessie replied.

"But," Kaleb surmised. "For this plan to work, we're going to have to tell the family."

"Ugh. Why?" Jessie asked.

"Because," Kaleb explained. "Like my dragon training, the family needs to know what we're doing so that they don't get the wrong ideas about anything and ground us so that we end up getting into even more trouble."

"Oh, is that why those two 'friends' of yours are here?" she grasped. She never did like strangers; more so ever since she had taken to the Huntsclan's "motto" of never trusting strange creatures. "To make sure the family was able to _understand_ your 'predicament?'"

"In a sense, yes," Kaleb answered. "Now, do _I_ need to tell them or will you?"

"_I'll_ tell them, thank you." Jessie replied stiffly. "You told them _your_ secret, after all. I'll tell them mine myself."

With that, Jessie walked out of the room; head held up high. Unlike her brother, when she had her mind made up about something, she did it; no complaints about it. Of course, the whole family was about calmed down by the time Kaleb and Jessie had returned. Grandpa and Jake had just finished telling them about how Kaleb would need afternoon training with them, when they spotted Jessie and her staff. Immediately, they went full dragon and cries went up among the whole family all over again.

"STOP!" cried Kaleb. He knew something like this was bound to happen. "Grandpa, Jake, stop, please! My sister is an EX-Huntsgirl." At this, both Grandpa and Jake were so stunned that they changed back to human and plopped back into their seats.

"I thought _I_ was going to tell the family," Jessie muttered. She had a very nervous look on her face. _Three_ dragons, all in _her_ house? The Huntsmaster would have killed her for letting them live, _if_ she still followed him.

"Well," Kaleb whispered back. "I had to tell them _something_."

They looked back at the quite stricken Black family. Kaleb knew that they were still mulling over the fact that he was a dragon. Now their daughter was a…a magical creature bounty hunter?

"Well," Jessie began uneasily (she did not like anyone knowing things about her she wanted to keep secret), "I _was_ a Huntsgirl. See, about four years ago, I saw what looked like a golden feather on my way home from school. Of course, it was, but I thought it was a fake one. So, I picked it up and took it with me. Kaleb would remember it, of course; that was the day he read his first dragon book. I didn't bother him about it, though, because, at the time, I was very interested in this feather. Now I know what the feather was; a phoenix feather."

"Wait," Mr. Black asked, "A _phoenix_ feather?"

"Yep," Jessie answered, "100 mythical phoenix. However, it was stolen from me the next day and replaced with a letter. 'If you wish to see more wonders like this, come see me at this address at 9:00 pm tonight.' Of course, I didn't know what to expect, and I didn't think you guys would want me to go out that late, so I didn't tell you."

"That explains why you've gone to the 'library' so many times." Stacy surmised. Everyone looked at her. "What?" she asked.

"You're getting ahead of the story!" Kaleb told her. Stacy giggled.

"Anyway," Jessie continued. "When I arrived, I met the Huntsmaster, the leader of the Huntsclan. He was a horrid man, but he seemed to be on the level. When he talked about the 'wonders,' I said I'd help. He seemed appreciative at first, but then, I wouldn't have been able to know since he wore a skull-like mask on his head.

"Afterwards, he told me to start working out so that _we_ would be able to go after the treasures we would be seeking. Amazingly, he wasn't going to tell me about them yet. So, I started training. _That's_ what I did mostly when I 'went to the library,' Stacy.

"When I was eleven, I was finally able to join the Huntsmaster in finding his treasures. Unfortunately, I was unprepared for what I found."

* * *

CLIFFIE! I know they're evil, buttrust me. This one's a...around a shocker. 

Random Alien and Random Vulcan: Live long and prosper.

Do I even have to ask?

RA and RV: Uh... (start running away)

Ask if you want a different drink! Don't forget to review!


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks so much for your reviews. They're what help keep my stories going. Oh, and I'll answer everything in due time.

* * *

Now, since I heard that Angel of Forgotton Souls needs another root beer, I figured everyone should have another something. 

Angel of Forgotton Souls: Your Root Beer, along with anti-theft spells and anti-YFWE spells.

YFWE: Since you already have another drink _and_ another snack (XXL Economy bag? That seems to be overdoing it!), I'll give you some guests. (Gives YFWE Random Vulcan and Random Alien) Enjoy!

Dragonwolf166: Welcome! Here you go, have a complementary lemonade. Enjoy the chapter.

CelloSolo2007: Well, all I have left is this large pizza any-way-you-want-it-for-free coupon. Oh well. Here you go.

Now, then. Here's the next part in The Black Dragon...

* * *

Chap 15 

"What?" Jake interrupted. "You're saying that after seeing how 'horrid' the Huntsmaster really is, you were surprised at what he wanted you to do? Steal magical objects from innocent magical creatures?"

The Black family, who hadn't actually heard this part of the Dragon-Huntsclan story, looked startled. Grandpa, in the background, looked like he was about to ask something, but was stopped, telepathically, by Kaleb.

"You mean…" Mrs. Black started.

"Look, mom," Jessie interjected. "Wait until I finish before you say anything, please." Her mother looked pleadingly at her daughter, but let her continue. "Now, actually, _yes_, I was quite surprised to see that we were going after magical creatures' belongings. Of course, at first I didn't go along with it. I merely watched as the Huntsmaster, as he's called, hunted down his 'prey' and took what he wanted from them.

"Eventually, though, I did want to try out some of the moves I had learned over the past few years and see some of the 'treasures' I had been promised. So, I started going on assignments myself. However, that's when a dragon started showing up."

"_Dragon?_" Jake and Grandpa asked; thoughtlessly forgetting _all_ of Kaleb's story.

Kaleb motioned to himself. "Me, remember?"

Jessie groaned. "Anyway, the dragon kept bungling every job I tried to do, so I couldn't even see if I had what it took to be in the Huntsclan. The last assignment I had was the night before we left…"

"Both of you weren't in bed that night." Mrs. Black suddenly remembered. Kaleb was suddenly fidgety again.

"I was supposed to capture a magical creature, _any_ magical creature. Then, a _black_ dragon came and crushed my staff. Then, he told me to tell the Huntsclan to look out for him in NYC and left." Jessie finished, and then sat down. She looked very flustered, as if she had finished one of many grueling workouts.

"Wait," Stacy remembered. "Isn't Kaleb a _blue_ dragon? Who was that black dragon?"

"That, unfortunately, was me also." Kaleb explained. "Didn't you listen to Jake and Grandpa's explanation?" Jake and Grandpa suddenly looked uneasy as well.

"Yeah, but they only talked about you needing more training and that that was why you would sometimes be gone for a long time in the afternoons." Stacy answered. "Why? Were they supposed to say something else?"

Kaleb looked at Grandpa and Jake, who merely said, "It's your life and story, Kal. It's your decision."

Sighing, Kaleb looked back at his family. _Can I _really_ do this to them, after _all_ we've done to them so far?_

"There's something else that I need to tell you." Kaleb said.

Mr. Black muttered. "You're kidding, right? First, we find out that, for four years, you've been hiding the fact that you're a dragon. Then, your older sister comes and tells us that she's been hunting creatures like you for the past four years as well! What else could possibly be wrong with our family?"

"My powers," Kaleb continued on, "are connected to my emotions. If I get even slightly too emotional, I lose control. _That's_ why I was a black dragon that night before we moved when I faced Jessie."

The Blacks all gaped. Jessie just continued to listen. She found all this...enlightening, to say the least.

_At least I'm away from the Huntsclan_. She thought.

"Any _other_ secrets that you would like to tell us?" Mr. Black grumbled. He wasn't very happy about all this at all so far. His own children; one with powers that could be uncontrollable at the slightest emotional imbalance and the other with a possible hatred for all creatures; what role models for his youngest child to have.

"Just one," Kaleb finished up. He knew his father was getting pretty ticked about not having control over the situation, that his mother was very sad over the fact that her children had been in and were still in serious danger and that his younger sister was eager to see if _she_ had special powers. "Jessie still needs to hide from the Huntsclan. So, if Grandpa and Jake will assist me, I'll need to keep a watch around the house for a time. At least," he concluded, "until the Huntsclan is no more."

"Why does she need to hide from them?" Mrs. Black asked. Mr. Black was losing his rationality fast and his only way of keeping sanity was to just keep his mouth shut.

"No one quits the Huntsclan." Jessie simply stated.

"Which is why I created an illusion of her before we moved here so that…what?" Kaleb replied. The Black family just looked at him, stunned at what he had just said.

"Kaleb's abilities are somewhat…complex." Grandpa spoke up. "They even surprise myself."

"Unfortunately," Jessie continued, picking up where Kaleb left up, "we don't know how long Kaleb's illusion will last, so the Huntsclan could be looking for me even right now."

"So," Mrs. Black said. "All we need to do is keep an eye out for hooded ninjas with long, green staffs?"

Jake, Grandpa, Jessie, and Kaleb looked at her strangely; Kaleb even more so.

"Mom," Kaleb asked tentatively. "Do you remember…?"

"Yes," Mrs. Black answered. "I remember those ninjas; and also coming into your room. I saw…"

Kaleb looked uneasy, so Jessie asked her.

"Yes?"

"I saw you, Kaleb, but then I saw you turn into a…a blue…something. I remember screaming and then, nothing." Mrs. Black looked around and then remembered. "Did something happen to me?"

All eyes turned to Kaleb.

* * *

CLIFFIE, I know. So, what's going to happen to Kaleb now?

RV and RA swoop down, open mouths...

Don't even think about it.

RV and RA run like gibbering fools.

So, please review!


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks so much for your reviews!

RA, RV, and Jack Nicholson:...What reviews?

Do you three have to show up NOW?

_All three run for their lives right into a dimensional portal sending them into dimensional limbo_.

Thank goodness. Now, who wants cookies? Take your pick when you review after reading this chapter...

* * *

Chap 16 

Guiltily, Kaleb looked down. _I can't believe we're talking about this _now, he thought. _I figured "Hey, give them a few days in between for explanations and we'll be able to get through this no problem." But no. We can't have that, now can we?_

Mr. Black looked furiously at his son. "What happened to your mother, Kaleb?"

Kaleb looked back at his father, eyes melancholy but serious. "Remember that night when you went to work for way too long?" Mr. Black looked startled, but nodded. "Well, I do also. Very clearly. That was the night I found out about Jessie's secret; and I suppose Mom did as well, before she went to find me."

"What do you mean?" Mr. Black asked, trembling. He didn't like how Kaleb was acting; or how Jessie was, either. She was watching Kaleb strangely, as if he was telling some sort of secret.

"See," Kaleb continued, not listening to what anyone said or did. He just wanted to get this out of the way quickly so that, hopefully, everything could be right again. "That night, Jessie went out late again to do her Huntsgirl thing. However, I caught her when I started on my flight out. I was very surprised when I put two-and-two together right there on the spot. You know how that feels, Jake."

At this, Jake looked surprised. He didn't think that figuring out that your girlfriend is your enemy is the same as finding out your sister is your enemy. He turned away, though. The mere reminder that Rose was Huntsgirl made his heart ache.

"Still, as Jessie pointed out," Kaleb maintained. "I had gone after her and stopped her from stealing any magical objects. So, we both returned home, tired and cranky. Unfortunately…"

"I remember that night." Mrs. Black suddenly interrupted. Kaleb looked shaken, and a little annoyed, but let her continue. "I was coming to check on Kaleb, Jessie, and Stacy; like I always did. I saw that Stacy was asleep, so I went upstairs to check on Jessie and Kaleb. Then, I heard a thud. I hurried up to find both Jessie's and Kaleb's doors closed."

"They don't usually sleep with their doors closed," Mr. Black whispered to Jake and Grandpa.

"I went to Jessie's room first, and found the door unlocked, so I opened it." Mrs. Black continued. "Inside, I saw Jessie in a ninja suit with a long, green staff. It scared me so much that I ran out of her room in to the hallway. I think Jessie followed me."

Jessie looked uneasy at this point in the story, as did Kaleb; who knew the entirety of the tale. Mrs. Black droned forward.

"I ran forward, toward Kaleb's room. I don't know _why_ I went toward his room, but I ran into his room. In there, I found him sitting on his bed, wondering why I was so scared. I told him about Jessie wearing the ninja suit and having the staff. Then the weirdest thing happened. He told me not to worry about it, and changed. He became a rainbow…lizard…something and said, 'Memories are so very interesting, aren't they? They just come and go whenever they please.' Then, he closed his eyes and I saw white. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in my bed."

Mrs. Black then suddenly shook her head, blinked furiously, and gave a sharp gasp.

"Did you make me try to forget that whole thing?" she asked furiously.

Again, all eyes looked toward Kaleb; though this time, not all of them were friendly.

"I'm sorry, Mom." Kaleb replied sorrowfully. "I wasn't in control of my powers at the time. After it all happened, I didn't know what to do. My thoughts were all confused over finding out about Jessie. When you came in, I guess Iwas just...not myself."

His father didn't look as if he'd accept that story.

"So," Mr. Black scolded. "You're saying that because you were too _emotional_, your mother has had memory problems up until now?"

Kaleb looked hurt at the barely hidden threat from his father.

"I'm sorry, dad, but yes," Kaleb answered.

Mr. Black looked as though he were to get up for an arduous argument when Stacy spoke up for the first time that night.

"I think we need to sleep on what we've heard about so far. Don't you agree, _Dad_?" Stacy pushed. Unbeknownst to Jake and the rest, Kaleb had one other power; to recognize other powers and dragons when used or ready to be trained. So, he alone felt something when Stacy spoke to Mr. Black. _Is that a _persuasion power_ Stacy's using?_ He thought.

"Oh…" Mr. Black somehow immediately calmed down and sat back in his seat. "Yes, we might as well go to sleep now. It's almost 8:00! You three do have school hours to keep!" Even though it was Saturday the next day, the Black family still kept a strict curfew.

"We'd better get going, then, G," Jake said, tugging Grandpa towards the front door.

"Wait, I'll walk you out," Kaleb called out, following them and, psychically, tugging Stacy along. Amazingly, Stacy didn't say anything and the remaining Black family members trudged up to their rooms for bed.

* * *

Sorry for not explaining everything _just_ yet. I put in a pretty testy Mr. Black. 

Mr. Black: And just what is **_THAT_** supposed to mean?

How did YOU get past my security?

Mr. Black: How else? (_Security eating box after box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts_)

Grrrrrrr...Folks, R&R please, while I give Mr. Black the idea to _get back to his story!_


	17. Chapter 17

Well, well, well. Here we are at Chapter _17_. If anyone is wondering about dear Mr. Black, he is currently _sleeping. _Thank goodness. Now, for all of you who reviewed...

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CelloSolo2007: Thanks. Let's see. How about...Sugar cookie? 

Dragonwolf166: Chocolate Chip it is! Enjoy the chapter!

YFWE: I'm sorry. I don't know if I have any Krispy Kreme's left. I mean, the guards do eat so _many_ of them...OH! here's a box! (accidentally throws it into the Ghost Zone) oops. I guess I'll have to wait until next chapter for more Krispy Kremes. Sorry about that, YFWE.

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In case anyone was wondering, here are my _important_ characters' ages: 

Kaleb: 12

Stacy: 7

Jessie: 14

Chap 17

Now, on with the story!

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Jake and Grandpa waited by the front door as Kaleb "dragged" his sister along. When he finally came to them, they were surprised that he had brought Stacy with "just to say good-bye." 

"Why…?" Grandpa began. However, he never got to finish his sentence because Kaleb immediately silenced him with a finger to his lips, then motioned that they should go outside.

Out in the hallway, Kaleb whispered, "Stacy, why didn't you ever tell me you had…well, _powers_ after I explained myself tonight?"

"Powers?" Stacy asked innocently. "What powers?" When Jake, Grandpa, _and_ Kaleb glared at her, she conceded. "Well, it started after the night when Mom started having memory problems; or, I guess, when you accidentally attacked her _and_ Jessie."

Grandpa and Jake, who were still out of the blue in all of this, were startled to hear another piece of the story that they hadn't heard. They made motions to ask more about it, but Kaleb hushed them, saying that they'd talk about it later.

"_Anyway_," Stacy continued. She never liked it when someone interrupted her. "That morning afterward, I woke up and felt…different. I mean, I felt like my normal 6-year old annoying self, but I also felt like something else. I didn't think too much about and got ready for the day."

"As a matter of fact…," Kaleb interrupted.

"NO INTERRUPTIONS!" Stacy yelled. Immediately, Kaleb looked around to see if anyone had woken up or taken a look outside to see who had shouted. Seeing no one, but not taking any chances, he teleported everyone to a familiar rooftop to continue to conversation.

"Sorry about that, Stacy," Kaleb apologized. "Continue, then." However, Stacy, and more importantly Jake and Grandpa, were amazed at Kaleb's power. Then, quickly getting a hold of her self, Stacy continued her story.

"It's OK, Kaleb. Now, I had just sat down to breakfast when I noticed something strange. I hadn't done anything to make the food or set the table or anything."

"Yeah; I had." Kaleb said. "I remember that conversation. You had yelled that morning that since Mom and Jessie were incapacitated, _I_ had to cook." He paused. "Wait a minute. You _used_ me to cook for you!"

"'_I didn't have control over my powers_,' remember?" Stacy mocked. "Anyway, it progressed from there."

"It _PROGRESSED_?" (Kaleb)

"Yep," Stacy answered. "Remember that test I thought I would fail the next week? Somehow everyone else had the lower grade and I had the highest."

"As I recall," Kaleb replied, "You got a C on that test, which means…oh no."

"There's more." Stacy continued. "Remember that old bully that showed up near the end of the school year? Ricky Thomas?"

"Oh please no…." Kaleb couldn't bear it. His sister seemed to be turning into something worse than _he_ was.

"I think we get the idea, Stacy." Jake butted in. "G, do you know if she _is_ a dragon?"

Grandpa looked deep in thought. "Have you ever tried to think of yourself in a different form?" he asked.

Stacy looked bewildered. "Who doesn't? Why, I'd love to be the next…" (Quite frankly, I'm not up-to-date on teen fashion or news, so you'll just have to fill in the blanks yourself.)

Grandpa just shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I mean, like a different creature."

"Like dragons?" Stacy asked. Grandpa nodded. "Well, I could try."

She closed her eyes, concentrated for a moment, and then opened her eyes again.

"Well," she answered, "Looks like it didn't work."

"On the contrary," Grandpa replied amongst giggles between Jake and Kaleb. "We now know what you _really_ are."

She looked down. Instead of her small, cute, _human_ body, she had a (forgive me, AmericanDragonFan, it was what I could come up with at the time) purple, poodle/pug-mix _dog_ body.

"WHAT?" Stacy did not look happy. After all that had happened that night, _this_ was the thing that toppled her sanity. "WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME?"

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Oohoohoo! Looks like more that a dragon and an ex-Huntsgirl have been hiding under Mr. and Mrs. Black's noses!

RV., RA., JN (Jack Nicholson) sneak up on Mr. Black.

Guys, please let the man sleep.

Crazy group: Why?

Fine. Just so you know, I warned you.

Crazy group wakes Mr. Black up, who immediately attacks them.

sighs. I guess I'd better sort this out. Thanks a lot, YFWE. R&R, please.


	18. Chapter 18

Here it is, ladies and gentle-fan-readers! Chapter 18! Now then,

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CelloSolo2007: Sorry about that, here's a _chocolate chip_ cookie. 

YFWE: Hmmmmm...How about a large bag of MINI M&M's? BUT, there's a catch...(Flashback:RV, RA, JN, Mr. Black stow away in bag of MINI M&M's)

Dragonwolf166: Let's see...Here's some chocolate brownies. Enjoy the new chapter!

Anyone who recently _updates!_: Have a large slice of...HEY! who took my last chocolate cake? (Flashback: Guards enjoy another round of "Eat author's chocolate cake")

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Oh well. Enjoy the goodies and enjoy the new addition to the story!

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I'm taking a vacation from Tuesday, 8/30 to Sunday, 9/4. I won't be able to update during that time, so you'll just have to "bear" with me.

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Chap 18 

After Kaleb and Jake helped calm Stacy down and transform back into her human self, Grandpa explained Stacy's situation.

"It appears that you are a 'magical' shapeshifter," Grandpa answered.

"Isn't that redundant?" Kaleb asked. Grandpa glared at him before continuing.

"Actually, it isn't. A normal shapeshifter can only change their form to normal animal shapes; a normal human really being just another 'animal'. A 'magical' shapeshifter can transform into _any_ shape and use their abilities," Grandpa replied.

"So, what Stacy…," Kaleb began, "What Stacy _and I_ are really is just some shapeshifters? I'm not even a dragon?"

"'MAGICAL' shapeshifters! And, mostly likely, yes. That is the most probable cause of all this trouble we've been having." Grandpa concluded.

Jake's mouth dropped open, closed, and then opened to speak, "G, how do we even _know_ if they're shapeshifters; let alone how would we be able to help them train their powers?"

"Young dragon, please, DO NOT QUESTION YOUR DRAGON MASTER!" Grandpa stated. Jake backed down, and Grandpa continued his examination of Stacy and Kaleb. Unfortunately for them, Kaleb kept feeling uneasy about the whole thing, and when Grandpa asked them to transform into dragons, _again_, Kaleb's unease increased.

Of course, no one had seen Stacy's dragon form and so were taken aback when she "dragoned up." Like her dog form, her dragon scales were purple, but her stature was pretty small; mostly because she was still growing. However, she had a long snout, green eyes (like Lilo & Stitch 2, when Stitch is glitching), small wings that could still help her fly, and a longer, more whiplike tail than her brother's. Still, once she grew some more, she'd give some 'beautiful' dragons a run for their money.

"How do I look?" Stacy asked pleasantly. She always wanted to be pretty; being that way as a dragon seemed to increase that desire.

"Fine," Grandpa answered. He gave a silencing look at Jake, who was about to say something more to her. He hadn't seen many female dragons (except for Dragon Summit, but they were only there for _such a short time_!) and, if it wasn't for Grandpa, he wouldn't have remembered how young Stacy was. "Now, Kaleb, think of another form…"

"Like a cat?" Kaleb asked. Immediately, there were two humans, a dragon, and one cat on the rooftop.

"Well," Grandpa replied. "This proves it. You are both 'magical' shapeshifters. Now, you both had best get to bed. We'll start training for all three of you tomorrow."

"TOMORROW?" Kaleb, Stacy, and Jake yelled. Crows all around flew all over the place. Then, everyone else on the roof looked over at Kaleb the cat.

"You can _talk_ in that form?" Grandpa asked.

"Apparently," Kaleb answered. "So, why tomorrow?"

"Because," Grandpa replied, "Your powers and your sister's powers are too easily controlled by your emotions. You need to be able to control your powers better. _That_ is why I have training tomorrow. Now, to bed. All _three_ of you."

Groaning, the three students transformed into dragons and flew to their respective rooms. Nodding curtly, Grandpa transformed himself and flew to the shop to get some sleep himself _and_ to send a letter to the dragon council about the night's events.

_I'm pretty sure they are not going to be…uh…_thrilled_ about this_. He thought.

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I think I might end the story here. If anyone thinks I should end the story here and start a sequel, please review and say so! If I should continue, review and say so! (By the way, sorry about the short chapter) 


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